


The Prince and The Sorcerer

by imonlyjoking



Category: Borderlands, Tales from the Borderlands - Fandom
Genre: AU Verse, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bunkers and Baddasses, F/M, Fairtytale/D&D References, Fluff, Gen, Handsome Sorcerer, Humor, M/M, Middle Ages, Prince Rhys, Rhys being tortured by pre-teens, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-18
Updated: 2016-01-18
Packaged: 2018-05-14 17:20:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5751673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imonlyjoking/pseuds/imonlyjoking
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rhys should have never agreed to play Bunkers and Badasses with Angel and her friends. </p><p>Not to say he didn't enjoy playing games with Angel. He absolutely loved spending time her. It was just...different when her friends were over. For thirteen year old girls, they could be outright mean sometimes, especially the blond one.</p><p>Or</p><p>"Babydoll, explain to me again why I'm an evil Sorcerer in your game?" Jack arched a questioning brow at his daughter.</p><p>"Because you're dark and sinister, Dad."</p><p>"Oh," Jack shrugged, "fair enough."</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Prince and The Sorcerer

**Author's Note:**

> So I was watching my boyfriend play the Bunkers and Baddasses portion of Borderlands 2, and thoroughly enjoyed it. And, I don't know, the thought just popped into my head, like "I wonder what Rhys would be?" and it just kind of...clicked. lol
> 
> Oh, and for whoever had came up with Rhys' last name as Sommerset, I do greatly apologize but I wanted to use it in my fic. I wasn't sure who to ask, so if I have offended anyone, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! I will change it immediately!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

Snug between the vast towering mountains of the East and the Enchanted Forest of the West was the thriving little town of Bloomshire; a constantly bustling town of food markets and shops, the air rich with the freshness of Spring and booming with life, young and old, people making their way about their day to day, some stopping to take in the warm smell of fresh bread from the bakery, children playing yet another round of marbles outside the candy shop until the owner had no choice but to shoo them away or let them inside. Citizens would stop to chat with others, while horse drawn carriages parted the hustling and bustling streets.

  
Life was relatively easy in Bloomshire. The taxes were reasonable, and the town was conveniently placed between the natural spring that flowed between the mountains, helping the fertile soil produce bountiful harvests. Because of this the winters weren't as harsh.

  
The most appealing thing about Bloomshire, that all the townspeople could agree on, was the royal family that oversaw the town.

  
The House of Sommerset. At the mere mention of the King's family had women fanning and men cheering. An admirable king, a beautiful queen, and their three handsome sons.

  
But the youngest son, Lord Rhys of the House of Sommerset, was someone that most could agree -behind closed doors and whispered in ears- was a little different from his family. Perhaps being the youngest of three sons the reason could be that he was shadowed by his two brothers; one the heir to the thrown and the other a proud Knight in training, leaving Rhys little room to impress his parents, and often did not get the full attention he sought even as a child.

  
The elders of the town could fondly remember the child Prince often walking along the outskirts of the Enchanted Forest, far from the soldiers and maids that escorted him, had slipped from their watchful eyes to wander with his thoughts before being caught and rushed back to the safety of the castle.

  
The biggest and most well hidden gossip, however, was not the hushed opinion of Rhys being the black sheep of the royal family, but the scandal behind the youngest son's actions. Some scoffed and others guffawed, saying the rumors were nothing more than hearsay shared around the horse troughs, to think that the youngest and sweetest of the Sommersets would partake in such black studies was unheard of. Despite this, others would swear up and down they heard it from the very maids and servants that resided in the castle...

  
Young Rhys had practiced magic.

  
And magic was _strictly_ forbidden in Bloomshire, and the alarmingly high and well built brick wall dividing the town from the Enchanted Forest served as a reminder to it's residences, a heavily punishable crime if one were to ever be caught with acts deemed as dark sorcery-

  
\--

  
" _No_ way. I'm not playing some young naïve little Prince." Rhys huffed indignantly, folding his flesh arm and cybernetic one across his chest in a defiant pose trying to seem as intimidating as possible, forgetting the tiny little detail that he was currently adorned in a worn-out college sleep shirt and baggy plaid pajamas pants two times too big for his size.

  
_Very_ intimidating.

  
"C'mon, Rhys. You said you'd play with us." Angel huffed back, folding her arms over her chest to mimic Rhys and gave him her best glare. Even in matching Skull Candy pajamas she could still be more intimidating than Rhys.

  
"Yeah, _Rhyyyse_ , don't be such a baby." Gaige, sitting comfortably next to Angel on the other side of the board game, stuck her tongue out at the older man. Rhys, being the only adult in the room, stuck his tongue out in retaliation.

  
"I'm not being a baby, you said I could be a Knight or an Elven Archer. Why'd I get stuck being some wimpy little Prince?"

  
"Not our fault you rolled bad dice, Chump." Tina added, hands on her ankles and swaying back in forth in that...crazy little way that reminded Rhys the poor pre-teen could never stay still for a second. And although he'd never admit it to the girl, she was right. He _did_ roll a 2.

  
"I'm not a chump, you're a chump."

  
"Says the biggest chump in the room!"

  
Angel sighed, rubbing a hand through her raven locks before throwing Rhys an inpatient look. "Please, Rhys? You said you'd play with us."

  
"I said I'd play Bunkers and Badasses. You know, fighting trolls and warlocks and busting into dungeons? This is starting to sound like a fairytale."

  
" _Honey_ ," Tina stopped her swaying to place a hand on Rhys' knee, giving him her best _let's be reasonable_ face, "like Tina's gonna play Bunkers and Badasses and not whoop some Troll booty? Oh...there _will_ be blood."

  
_Ookay, moving away now._ Rhys made a face and shifted his knee away from Tina. That girl honestly gave him the creeps.

  
Jack owed him _big_ time for this. His boyfriend had been stuck working late, on a Friday night he may add, to regroup after a rather sudden and accidental chemical spill from R &D, it left Rhys with ruined plans. What was supposed to be a nice comfy night in, home cooked food, horror-movie-marathon, ultimate snuggling on the couch while Angel and her friends threw a slumber party upstairs, had now turned into no home cooked Jack meals, no horror-movie-marathon, and no ultimate snuggling, and instead being verbally tag teamed by three pre-teen girls in the living floor of Jack's extravagant home.

  
Oh yeah, Jack owed him a whole freakin weekend of snuggling.

  
Not to say he didn't enjoy playing games with Angel. He absolutely loved spending time her. It was just...different when her friends were over. For thirteen year old girls, they could be outright mean sometimes, especially the blond one.

  
" _Oh_...I see what's going on." Rhys said slyly, casting each teen with an accusing look, "You're all picking on me because I'm crashing your sleepover."

  
"Rhys, that's not it at all!" Angel replied instantly. Aw, she was always so sweet.

  
"Well..." Gaige said hesitantly.

  
"Pretty accurate, smart guy." Tina didn't skip a beat.

  
" _Tina_." Angel chaste softly.

  
Rhys held his hands up defensively. "Look, I was on your side! I told Jack you didn't need a babysitter. Three girls playing board games on a Friday night? Besides, you know how protective your Dad is."

  
Angel nodded with a knowing smile. "It's okay, Rhys. Really. Now, will you _please_ play with us? I promise, as the dungeon master," she went as far as placing a hand on her heart as if pledging, "I will make sure you get more action and adventure. No mushy fairytale stuff. Okay?"

  
Damn that adorable pout. It was Rhys' weakness, and Angel knew it. He slumped his shoulders and sighed, utterly defeated. "Fine, I'll play along."

  
The girls, with the exception of Tina, cheered and clapped.

  
"Awesome!" Angel cheered, "Now, where were we?"

  
-

  
It had been a particularly bad fight.

  
Rhys must have stared at the large wall separating Bloomshire from the Enchanted Forest for at least ten minutes, replaying the fight him and his family had over and over in his head, only upsetting him more and leaving the sting of his father's and brother's words to unsettle in his chest.

  
He wasn't doing anything wrong. He was only trying to help. But the way they looked at him, with disgust and disappointment, like he was some sort of monster that had disgraced the family....

  
His fists clenched in anger at his sides, shaking with building rage and pain.

  
He was only trying to help.

  
Rhys had overheard the farmers plea that morning while visiting the Kingdom, that this years harvest would be scarce. To put it simply, the fields weren't as fertile as they use to be, something about a growing green mist just on the other side of the mountains, killing the wildlife and forest and leaving behind nothing but rotted corpses and dead trees in it's wake. The news left the castle in a position of dread and terror. His eldest brother, as heir to the thrown, had insisted he and the second eldest with his group of soldiers would venture out over the mountains to investigate.

  
_The heroes as always_ , Rhys thought. His mother was beside herself over the news and the thought of putting her sons in danger. His father had thought it noble and to proceed despite his wife's wishes.

  
And Rhys, the youngest, standing quietly beside his mother, as always, thought that for once his input would be something considered, would make his father think that he too would be of great help and nobility, could provide a helpful bout of input into their dyer situation.

  
_"Sounds like a Sorcerer's spell, Father." Rhys had finally spoken up. The room suddenly went quiet, an array of gasps surrounded him._

  
_"You would know, huh little brother?" The eldest son sneered._

  
_"I...actually, I do know a little bit." More gasps surrounded them. "I-I mean, from what I've read, it sounds like a spell has been laid on our land. If we could find a way to remove it..."_

  
_"Mind your business, little Merlin. Let us handle this." the second eldest son retorted._

  
_"But...I could go with you. I could help." Rhys ignored his brother's matching glares, until his mother let out a pained moan and collapsed by his side. Before he or any of his brother's could get to her, the King stood from his thrown. With one large hand he brought it down hard onto Rhys' face, throwing the young man down to the ground._  
_The castle was dead silent then._

  
_"To have your father repeat himself, to cause your mother such stress," the man's loud baritone voice thundered through the castle, "as I have told you countless times before, you will not mutter those words, nor will you ever consider practicing such sinful filth in my Kingdom!"_

  
Rhys blinked harshly out of the memory still fresh in his mind. He set his shoulders and stared once more at the great wall diving the town from the forest. They'd never understand; his father, mother, brothers, the Kingdom, all too narrow-minded and stubborn in their ways to ever consider the fact that magic wasn't just a sinful practice from the sorcerers and witches in the world that only wanted to cause mayhem and death. There was good magic in this world, the kind that made rivers flow, fed poverty stricken towns, could heal the sick and the wounded. Hell, it could win wars peacefully.

  
That was the kind of magic Rhys was obsessed with, would spend countless nights in his bed reading well-hidden books by a mere candlelight when he was sure the servants had long retired to their quarters.

  
Damn them, he would find a way to help. Even if he was shunned and hated for it, he would help his family, the townspeople, the farmers. He wouldn't let them starve and succumb to the mist beyond the mountains.

  
And the Enchanted Forest was his solution.

  
Before Rhys knew what he was doing he was climbing up the vines of the great wall, realizing what he had just done when his feet planted firmly planted on the ground on the other side. He blanched slightly, looking behind him at the wall, then at the lush forest in front of him, back to the wall, and finally at the forest.

  
Holy crap he in the Enchanted Forest. For a split second his chest spasmed with fright and he considered climbing back over, but stopped when he felt the ghost pain of his father's hard slap sting his cheek.

  
No, he would keep going. He was brave, just like his brothers. He didn't need them, he was the third son of the House of Sommerset, Lord Rhys, Prince of Bloomshire. He would find a way to get ride of the curse that threatened to destroy his town.

  
Chest puffed and shoulders set, he strolled into the thick brush of the forest, ignoring the sinking feeling in his gut, a haunting reminder of what dangers that lied in the Enchanted Forest.

  
-

  
"Ugh, I sound like such a _wimp_." Rhys groaned, throwing himself back onto his elbows on the thick carpet of the living room floor.

  
Angel covered her mouth with her hand in an attempt to stifle her giggle. "Just wait, Rhys. It'll get better!"

  
"Yeah, quit being a Whiney Wendy and let's DO THIS THANG!" Tina shouted, taking her turn after Rhys had ended his.

  
Easy for her to say, starting out as a level twelve Badass Dwarf with an electric sledgehammer fighting goblins on her warship off the coast of Englapade.

  
_Lucky_.

  
-

  
It had been a few hours of venturing through the forest that Rhys had decided it wasn't so bad. He wasn't sure how far he had gotten, every direction looked exactly the same, that for all he knew he could have been going in circles. But during his long trek he had yet to run into any the horrible tall-tales the servants and maids had spindled into his young mind growing up; of child-hungry witches lurking around every tree, three foot goblins coming out of the dirt to carry people off to their dens to feast upon their flesh.

  
So far the most threatening thing he'd come across was a thorn bush.

  
"Not so bad," Rhys smiled, taking in the fresh smell of forestry around him, basking in the rays of the afternoon sun that filtered in through the canopy of leaves above him. Honestly, to think those old folktales could rattle him so bad, the nightmares he had as a child just seemed like silly little stories to get children to behave-

  
"Hello there, little one."

  
The deep voice behind Rhys made him jump like a frightened cat, all tranquility of the forest around him gone in seconds, and he whirled around to face the owner of the voice.

  
A large man, just short of a few inches from Rhys, but still very broad, clad in magnificent armor from his chest plate and shoulder pads all the way to the metal of his footgear. The man held his helmet snug under one arm, his sword dangling at his waist. A Knight? No, armor that fine belonged to someone of higher authority. Rhys gulped and ignored the sudden tremble in his knees. He had to be vigilant. He had let his guard down already and let someone sneak up behind him. He couldn't slip again.

  
Rhys squinted his eyes and took in the man's features. Combed back black hair that almost looked fake, a black neatly shaved beard-goatee combo, eyes dark brown and scanning Rhys up and down in a way that made his nerves tingle uncomfortably. That look, it was...hungry for something, for what Rhys didn't know.

  
"What is a young man like yourself doing all the way out here, in the middle of this forest?" The man challenged with a soothing voice, or as soothing as he could pass for. Rhys noticed this.

  
The larger man continued with a step forward. "You do know this is a magic forest, right?"

  
"Duh, of course this is..." Rhys stopped himself when the man arched a brow. Uh oh, his mother would be ashamed of him right now. Even with strangers, especially noble looking ones, he was a Prince and Princes had manners.

  
"I mean...yes, I'm aware this is a magical forest, sir. I'm on my way to the neighboring town not far from here." He prayed to any God out there that the man would not catch his lie.

  
Of course his prayers were not answered. The man looked around, and then back at Rhys.

  
"Are you sure? There's not another town for a good few days away. The closest one here is Bloomshire...the opposite of where your going, I presume?"

  
Damn. He had to think quicker.

  
"Yes. I'm venturing from Bloomshire to the next town. Urgent news and all." Ugh, that sounded awful. Today was just not his day.

  
"Ah...of course you are." The man grinned, taking another step forward. Rhys took a counter step back in caution. The man stopped and put a hand to his forehead and shook his head. "Where _are_ my manners! I haven't introduced myself!" He gave the young Prince a simple bow.

  
"My name is Hugo, Hugo Vasquez. King of the Northern Region."

  
Oh. Great.

  
Of all the creatures he could have run into in the Enchanted Forest, he just had to run into the slimiest one. Oh, he'd heard a _great_ _deal_ about King Vasquez; a worthless excuse of a King who ruled his kingdom with ridiculously high taxes and strict laws, who sat on a gold thrown lavishing himself on luxurious food and high dollar wenches while his people starved on the streets.

  
His father hated the man, and for good reason.

  
Rhys decided then he would lie to the man about who he was. If King Vasquez ever found out who he was...

  
Suddenly in character, Rhys bowed to one knee in respect. "You're highness, it is an _honor_ to run into your _greatness_." Gag. "Please allow a peasant like myself to give you my humble name in return-"

  
" _Peasant_?" King Vasquez scoffed and laughed. Rhys scrunched his eyes in confusion. This time the slimy King took three long strides forward until he was only a foot from Rhys.

  
"I see no peasant, little one. What I see, is the young Lord Rhys Sommerset, Prince of the House of Sommerset..."

  
Oh crap. Dread twisted in Rhys's stomach like angry snakes. It couldn't be...how did this man...? Rhys raised himself back to stand, tempted to sprint away from the man and his sickening smirk.

  
"How...how did you...?"

  
Vasquez cut him off with a deep chuckle, closing the gap between him and the smaller man. "Little Prince...I'm not stupid. I know a Sommerset when I see one..." The man had the _audacity_ to reach up a hand and ghost his fingers on Rhys' arm... _the fake one_. Rhys couldn't help but let out a hiss in defiance and remove his arm away from the man's touch. No one outside of his immediate family had ever had the disrespect of pointing out his prosthetic arm. It was unheard of. Not after the incident....

  
Vasquez noticed Rhys' sudden flare of indignant anger and chuckled. "I wonder...why the youngest Sommerset would venture out so far from his home? You know it's dangerous out here..." the hand that touched his arm now lifted to hook under Rhys' chin, the younger man too shocked at such bold actions to say anything much less move away.

  
"Someone as pretty and young as you all the way out here on your own? Who knows what could be lurking out here, the things they'd do to you..."

  
The echoing sound of a slap reverberated off the trees around them, stopping Vasquez in mid sentence. The man's eyes were large, anger and outrage slowly seeping into them when he realized what Rhys had just done. Rhys, eyes just as wide, stared at the hand he had raised...to a _King_. He had just _struck_ a hand to a King.

  
This was not good.

  
Red flags in Rhys' head signaled him to run, to take off in any direction and bolt away, anywhere, far _far_ away from here. But before he could get the chance to, a large hand came up and wrapped around his throat in a painful grip. Rhys gasped and instinctively reached up to pry the fingers from around his neck. Through the pain the young Prince managed to stare at the other man's face now twisted with insulted rage.

  
"Disrespectful little...!" The grip around his throat tightened and Rhys let out a pained cry. In one thrust Vasquez brought he hand back still with Rhys in his grip and brought their faces mere inches away. He snarled in the young Lord's face.

  
"I'm going to have to teach you some proper manners, aren't I, _Sommerset_?"

  
And just as Rhys was about to let out a raspy reply, he felt the blunt end of an unknown object collide with his temple, sending stars and bright colors dancing in his vision, and he was suddenly consumed in darkness.

  
-

  
"...Uh. What just happened?" Rhys sputtered. He couldn't believe it. Bunkers and Badasses was supposed to be about you and your friends taking on rigorous challenges across a made up land, Elves, Mages, Halflings, Knights, and so much more fighting against and beside each other, defeating dragons and goblin armies, gaining stamina and stealth and skills, and, and...!

  
"When did I manage to level up to _Damsel in Distress!?"_ Rhys threw his hands up. He was so done, so done with this game. He never should have played with a bunch of thirteen year old girls, _especially_ the ones that Angel was friends with.

  
"Don't look at us," Gaige said, "you were one who's been rolling all 1's and 3's all night."

  
"Bad rolls, Bro." Tina nodded in agreement.

  
"Ugh! Angel, a little help here?" Rhys looked at Angel pleadingly. To his shock the young girl just shrugged and shook her head.

  
"Sorry, Rhys. If you had rolled even a 6 I could have worked with you beating him up, or kicking him. You rolled a _1_...."

  
"This is so _bogus_." Rhys hung his head in embarrassment, running a hand through his head and itched his scalp, obviously frustrated. He glared at the game board so hard he swore he could have casted a spell to set the damn thing on fire.

  
Oh, right. He couldn't, he wasn't anything awesome. He was a weak little powerless Prince...Damsel...whatever.

  
Finally, Rhys sighed and looked to Angel warily. "So, what now?"

  
Before Angel could answer, Gaige beat her to it with a mocking finger pointed right at him. "Now, you are going to be King Perv's personal wench. I hope you know how to lick boots clean!"

  
Rhys retorted with a frustrated growl. "What? Why? And...wait, how do you guys even _know_ who Vasquez is?"

  
Angel shrugged again. "Dad talks about him sometimes. Guy sounds like a real scumbag. Makes for a great bad guy though."

  
Great. Just great. Vasquez tormented him at work, and now he was tormenting him in a damn board game. Just freaking peachy.

  
"Come on, Rhys. Just a few more rounds? If you start making better rolls, it'll get interesting for you, I promised didn't I?" It was like Angel was doing it on purpose, what with her adorable pout and puppy eyes that just melted Rhys. God, now he knew why Jack was such a big pushover when it came to anything Angel wanted.

  
Speaking of Jack...

  
Rhys quickly glanced at the clock on the far side of the wall. 9:30pm. Wonderful, the night was still early and who knew how late Jack would be at work until. From how Jack had explained the damages done by R &D's chemical spill, the CEO would probably be hung up at work until after midnight.

  
Which meant more hours spent playing Bunkers and Baddasses and not wanting to upset Angel.

  
Rhys let himself fall back onto the lush carpet behind him and threw one arm over his eyes tiredly, ignoring the questionable gazes from the three teenagers watching him curiously.

  
"Rhys?" Angel's sweet voice called out in concern. "Are you okay?"

  
"I think he's dead." Gaige replied playfully.

  
"Nuh uh! No time for dying! You got bootlicking to do, Princess!" Tina shouted.

  
It was going to be a _long_ night.

**Author's Note:**

> This might be a few chapter, maybe two or four, I'm not sure lol we'll just see where it takes us!
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed! All reviews are welcome!!


End file.
